Thursday, November 1, 2007

THIRTY DAYS OF BLESSINGS

NOVEMBER 1st: I am thankful for God's grace.

NOVEMBER 2nd: I am so very thankful for my husband.....I have battled some health issues these last 18 months that have been a total hassle and he has picked up the slack, done what needed to be done, stepped up to the kitchen sink and loaded the dishwasher....all without having to be asked, reminded....you get it. And now, well, for the last several months, we have added yet another chronic illness to my list of "pains in the bum"! And this latest one is very messy. Yet there is my husband, always asking if he can get me anything, always willing to do whatever it is needs to be taken care of, always willing to listen..............And please know that I struggled with posting today's blessing because to explain to you why I am so thankful for my husband I had to tell you about 'stuff' I don't share but with a couple of people and that was hard for me.However, I thought it was important that you know WHY Frank is such a blessing and why I am so, so thankful for that man, "Frank the Tank"!

NOVEMBER 3rd:

About 25 years ago I lived the life I had always known.....the "city and suburban" life......college, sorority, job in the "city" (Oklahoma City), big downtown church.....many of you know what I'm talking about.

If you would have told me THEN that I would move to Texas, to a family owned working ranch, married to the rancher, would have three boys and would live *happily* outside a wee little town (Center Point, Texas) where my kids would go to a school whose average graduating class was 20 students, I would have braided my chin hairs and joined the circus. (that's a joke and a whole 'nother blessing....no chin hairs)

But that's exactly what I ended up doing and that makes today's blessing, "I am so thankful that God gave me the oppportunity to raise my boys in the country, on a ranch, in the middle of all kinds of different people...."

And I am now seeing what effect that has all had on them....they have grown, and continue to grow, into young men that don't see color or economic situation when they cross paths with people.

I could go on and on about that but I think you get the picture....

I wouldn't have hoped to raise my children anywhere else but on our family ranch.

WHY "THIRTY DAYS OF BLESSINGS": I have a very dear, sweet friend, Keesha, that has inspired me to do a similar blog post this month, the month of Thanksgiving, as she is doing on her blog.She calls it, "Thirty Days of Thanks", and the idea is, in her own words,...."Today is Nov. 1st, so that means we begin the 30 days of thanks!......I'd love for you to join me either by commenting on my blog or doing it on your own blog! It doesn't have to be anything long or lengthy, just a little blurb like, "today i am thankful for xxxxx". Feel free to discuss why you are thankful or just leave it at that! Simple rules!"

Isn't that just the most wonderful idea?

Recently we have been aware of the amount of negativity that can surround us and that we can become focused on. I think this is a wonderful way to turn all of that around! I give her all of the credit and thank her for the idea!

So, every day I will add to this post, #1 today, #2 tomorrow, etc., until I have 30 days of entries telling you about the things that I am thankful for and that bless me.Please join me in this wonderful excercise!

What a wonderful idea, Jan!!! I'm not sure if I can make the time to post DAILY ... but I could post my blessings once a week ... just jot them down each day and summarize at the end of the week in one post. Would that be okay? :)

Ladies....thank you!!Thank you for blessing me with your comments!! Haven't I always said that seeing that there's a new comment on a blog entry is just like Christmas?

I am very thankful for all three of you, Shelly, Heidi and Dana - every time I visit your blog or get a comment or an email from one of y'all, it's a reminder of how God has surrounded me with dear friends that "get" me! Now, THAT'S a blessing! Jan

this blogging community is such a wonderful thing and the most wonderful thing is when you become friends, close friends with your blogging pals and then when you meet them in person that is the icing on my cake!! that is how i feel about kecia...xox

Jan - thank you! Thank you for continuing to inspire me. No blogspot yet... (sorry to dissapoint you). I am in the middle of a whirlwind at work. But, reading your blog reminds me of what's good in my life. Things to be thankful of... My wonderful husband and best friend. My sisters and mom'n'dad. My two spoiled puppies. My health. My craft room (eventhough it looks like a plane crashed there recently, lol).Though I won't join in a form of a blog, I will do so on my paper journal!I hope you have a great weekend!Maya

maya, deirdra, angela, all of you!...thank you for taking the time to write a comment! i so appreciate you doing that....i can't believe that today *as I write this* it's day six of the month! when i stop to think about all that i have to be thankful for, i may have to continue into december or double up on some days - hahaha!jan